New York City is made up of five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Each one has enough attractions—and enough personality—to be a city all its own. Learn more about them with this guide.

Carteles443 E. 6th St., East Village, Manhattan
The Cuban sandwiches and coffee drinks at this sunshiny café are the first stage of a much larger operation. A rum lounge is in development upstairs. On the corner, which is part of the complex, a full-scale Cuban restaurant called Cienfuegos is under construction. But for now, it's easy to be content with El Cubano, a pressed sandwich of pork, sliced ham, Swiss, provolone, pickles and garlicky mustard served with homemade potato chips or plantain chips. And the Cuban interpretation of the sloppy joe gives the American version a run for its money—think shredded, twice-braised beef with stewed peppers, onions and tomatoes, toasted with cheese (all sandwiches are $8.50).

DT Works6 Clinton St., Lower East Side, Manhattan
DessertTruck—featuring restaurant-quality sweets on wheels—has put on the brakes and found a brick-and-mortar home on Clinton Street. Fans who used to chase the truck around the East Village will find similar goodies here, such as warm chocolate bread pudding with vanilla or bacon custard sauce, crème brûlée flavored with distinctive Madagascar vanilla, dense New York–style cheesecake and warm brioche donut holes with Nutella filling. The minimalist, whitewashed shop has a chalkboard menu and a few small tables (far more comfy than standing in the cold).

MaximoPino Café504 Sixth Ave., 646-360-4143, West Village, Manhattan
Italian-style gelato made in-house is the main event here, attracting wide-eyed children stopping in after school. Metal bins overflow with vivid, creamy tufts of flavors like pistachio, chocolate-raspberry and stracciatella. Nonfat, nondairy sorbetti (strawberry, melon, mango) is on hand for the more abstemious. Executive chef Massimo (or Maximo) Pino hails from the small southern Italian town of Crispiano, where his family's bakery has been in business since 1952. That heritage is brought to bear on panini and pizza, prepared lickety-split with tons of topping options. The contemporary, well-lit setting offers free WiFi, flat-screen TVs showing a live feed from the gelato-making area of the eatery and a back mezzanine with waiter service.

Mile End97A Hoyt St., 718-852-7510, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
The plan was to serve Montreal-style Jewish deli fare all day long until 10pm. Ha! Mile End—named for an artsy Montreal neighborhood that owner Noah Bernamoff and his wife, Rachel Cohen, lived in before moving to New York—is such an astonishing smash that some days they're running out of meat in the early afternoon. (Check the venue's Twitter page for updates on its supply.) Bagels flown in from Bernamoff's hometown often disappear before lunchtime. Who knew New Yorkers were so hungry for peppery, smoked-meat sandwiches (akin to pastrami), cramming inside the shoebox-size space, seated shoulder to shoulder at the counter or at the picnic tables? Bernamoff—he's the one sharpening his knives and hand-slicing the steaming meat—handles the mayhem with good cheer, as does his staff. Mile End also pickles its own vegetables and serves up classic poutine—french fries with cheese curds doused in gravy.

ñ81 Washington St., 718-222-9880, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Underneath Rice is a satellite of ñ (pronounced "EN-yay"), the longtime tapas hideaway in SoHo. The street where it's found is enchanting, framed by the Manhattan Bridge. Descend the stairs to a sexy, low-lit lounge with leather club chairs and a ceiling of tiny lights that almost look like stars. For wintertime are hot toddies as well as classic cocktails, sangria, cava and a good selection of Spanish wine. The menu features small plates of shrimp in a Basque-style garlic-and-parsley sauce, chorizo with a splash of sherry, and tangy piquillo peppers stuffed with cod and bathed in a velvety piquillo sauce.